Chimney damper



Aug. 11,-1925. 1,549,231.

, J. B. STOKES CHIMNEY DAMPER Filed Sept. 10 1924 w t 6 51 5; -t fiL- y'Ex-L M Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN B. STOKES, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

CHIMNEY DAMPER.

Application filed September 10, 1924. Serial No. 736,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. S'roKns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah, in theState of Oregon, have invented a certain new anduseful Chimney Damper,of which the following is a speci fication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing.

My invention relates to means for regulating the draught ofchimneys, andis intended mainly for use in connection with fire places.

In chimney dampers 'it is usual to employ a damper whose weight tends toclose the chimney automatically-by the action of gravity. This hasproved to be often objectionabl and upon occasion to be a source ofdanger by setting -fire to the house in which it is placed, inconsequence of the closure of the damper from some accidental orunintentional cause.

It is, therefore, a main object of my invention to provide a damperwhich opens by gravity, and which can be closed only by positivemanipulation of its regulative mechanism. Other objects of any inventionwill be apparent from the following specifloat-ion.

What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter described in detailand succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure I is a vertical cross-sectional view of a chimney throat, and ofmy invention, in preferred form of embodiment, operatively installedtherein.

Figure II is a front elevation of the damper frame shown in Figure I,detached.

Figure 111 is a top plan view of the damper frame and its damperregulating mechanism detached.

Figure IV is a vertical cross section of the subject matter of FigureIII, showing the damper closed.

Figure V is a view similar to Figure IV showing the damper in thecompletely open position.

Figure V1 is a view similar to Figure V illustrative of a modificationof the damper regulating mechanism.

Referring to the numerals on the drawing, 1 indicates a chimney back, 2a chimney breast, and 3 a chimney throat-defining wall. The parts abovenamed may be of any usual or suitable and preferred shape,

relationship, material and dimensions. Confined and supported within thethroat defined between the breast 2 and the wall 3, I provide a dampersupporting-frame, which consists, preferably, of an oblong metalliccasting comprising a preferably inclined front wall 4, and an opposingrear wall 5 united as by opposite end walls 6, the several wallsaforesaid being joined together by a peripheral flange 7.

The rear wall 5 preferably includes an overhanging flange 8 whichrepresents any suitable stop-piece, and which defines on the rear sideof the supporting fran'ie, between it and the upper edge of the with i,an open space designed to be opened and closed, at will, by a. damperplate 9.

The damper plate 9 preferably cruisists of a metallic casting'ofsuitable weight and of dimensions adapted to close the said space withinwhich it is operatively hang and with the least obstruction thereof whenopen. The preferred-means for-hanging the damper plate comprises ears orarms l0 provided at opposite ends thereof on one side of itslongitudinal axis. Said ears are pivotally united to the end walls 6,respectively, as indicated by the numerals 11, they andtheir pivotalpoints 11 being relatively disposed so that the swinging of the damperplate will cause it to assume at one limit of its pivotal movement theposition upwardly inclined towards the breast 2 which is illustrated inFigure I, and atthe other-limit of its pivotal movement thesubstantially vertical position it occupies in Figure V. Furthermore,the ears or arms 10 are positioned so as to act as counterweights andnormally tend to cause the damper plate 9 to assume the open positionindicated in Figures V and VI. It may be observed that an importantpreferred function of the flange 8 is to serve in the capacity of astop-piece for the damper plate in either of the positions lastindicated.

Actuating means are provided for the regulation of the damper throughpositive manipulation. Such means may consist, by way of example, of thenotched lever shown in Figures IV and V, or of the chain pull shown inFigures I and VI.

In respect to the lever form of actuating means, a simple and thereforepreferred kind of lever is shown in Figures IV and V, wherein aconveniently curved bar 12 is shown as pivoted at one end as indicatedby the numeral 14 to a fixed stud 15 projecting at right angles from oneside of the damper plate 9. The bar passes through a stlrrup 16 whichprojects from the Wall 4: and 1s provided for engagement with thestirrup with a succession of notched teeth 17. The said bar terminatesat its free end in a hook 18 which serves for its manipulation and toassist in keeping it in place.

Instead of the bar 12 and its connections,

a chain 19 may be employed for adjusting the damper in order to regulateits position and thereby to shut off or to control at pleasure thechimney draught. The chain 19, when employed, preferably extends througha pipe 20 or like extended opening in the breast 2, and is providedwith'any suitable and ordinary means for fixing it at any desiredadjustment of length.

At each of the two opposite forward corners of the flange 7 of thedamper supporting frame, I provide, for a definite purpose, a cornerpocket 22. Said pockets are preferably made of sheet metal bent. intoshape and dimensions adapting them each snugly but loosely to fit itsappropriate corner. The purpose of these pockets is to allowfor contraction and expansion by variation of temperatnre of the dampersupporting frame and its flange 7 without disturbing the masonry or thelike material in which said frame by aid of its flange 7 is set. Withoutsuch provision as said pockets afliord, the frame will in use after atime tend to Work loose from its supporting masonry; but the pockets bytheir presence enable the flange to slip back and forth as in a sheathWithout in any wise disturbing the joints which unite the pockets andthe masonry into a firm unitary structure or common mass.

No further description of the operation of my device appears to berequired, in view of the foregoing specification, than the statementthat the ears 10 and their pivotal supports 11 are such as to disposethe weight of the damper plate so as to render it selfopening by theaction of gravity. Consequently, the function of the bar 12 or of thechain 19 is always to resist the said selfopening tendency, and uponadjustment to secure the damper-plate in any position desired betweenthe limits of its complete closure as shown in Figure IV and thevertical position it occupies when fully open as shown in Figure V, forexample.

What I claim is:

1. A. damper of the class described, comprising a casing, having anopentop and converging side and end walls, the rear wall terminating at itsupper edge in an in ward- ]y projecting flange, a tilting damper platehaving arms pivotally connected to the sides of the casing adjacent therear thereof, said anns serving as a counterweight to maintain. saiddamper plate in open position, said damper plate arranged to abut theflange on the rear wall of the casing to limit its forward and rearwardmovement, the open top of the casing being in a plane substantiallyinclined with respect to the base of the casing and the damper platewhen closed having a position substantially in the inclined plane of theopen top, and means connected to the damper plate to actuate the same. Ia

2. A damper of the class described comprising a casing having an opentop and side and end Walls, a tilting damper plate for closing said topand having arms pivot- 'ally connected to the. sides of the casing,

said arms being arranged to serve as a counterweight and to maintain thedamper plate normally in open position, and means on the casing forlimiting the movement of said damper plate in either direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN B. STOKES.

